Oops
by accio-ambition
Summary: Sometimes, it's easier to admit your love if you don't think about it too much. Written in December 2013, a little drabble about Emma and Killian saying 'I love you' for the first time.


Emma stood wide-eyed with her hands covering her mouth. This had to be a dream. No, a nightmare. One of those nightmares where you've got to school all fine and dandy but, surprise!, you're actually naked. That's what this had to be. The embarrassment, the overwhelming desire to shrink back into your shell in hopes that you'd shrink small enough to collapse in on yourself like a black hole. Yep, that's exactly what it was.

Except she knew it wasn't. His reaction was too real, the blue flames in his eyes flickered with too much hope and happiness to be otherwise. Oh, come on, she thought to herself. They had been doing absolutely nothing out of the ordinary. For the third time that week, she had ambled down the dock asking permission from the captain to board his ship. For the third time that week, Killian had gazed down at her from the deck and yelled his assent before lowering the gangplank. And for the third time that week, she had climbed on deck.

Except, for the first time this week, and actually the first time ever, now that she thought of it, she had stumbled. And because she was Emma Swan and never did anything half-assed, she fell like she was in an infomercial. Arms waving everywhere, she spun around twice and was headed straight for a concussion had Killian not grabbed her in time. He managed to pick her up and twist her around so that, by the time she had opened her mysteriously closed eyes, all she saw were his. That suave dingbat had caught her in such an affectionate hold, it caught her off guard. Seeing his concern, she had laughed it off and it just kind of came out.

"And this right here is why I love you so much."

Oops.

She felt the blood rush to her cheeks, stepped quickly away from him, and here they were.

"Would you care to run that by me once more, _love_?" he asked softly in this unusually joyful tone. His extra emphasis on the last word signified that her slip hadn't forgone his notice. And of course he would question it in a teasing manner. She could literally not get a word in edgewise without him teasing her. And yet she found it completely endearing. It was one of the many reasons why she lo—

Whoa. Hold up. Now that she'd come full circle, she could assess the present situation.

"Nope," she hastily replied. She saw the brief flash of despair and disappointment on his face, but he covered it up quickly and walked away. That's how it usually was: one of them would feel something, show it, but ultimately hide it to protect the other. It was definitely why they worked so well together. The push and pull of their emotional tides would garner just enough attention for the other one and allow either of them to 'solve the problem'. But 'solving the problem' usually was just intense and pleasurable sex, not that there was a problem with that. It's just who they were. They didn't get all 'let's talk about feelings' unless Henry or her parents brought it up, and it was in those conversations that Emma understood how much she meant to him and he to her. Left to their own accords, though, actions spoke volumes louder than words.

Man up, she thought to herself, you're just angry you said it before he did. Which was true: she had _spoken_ it before he did, but he had expressed his love for far longer. It's was only fair that she suffer through the awkwardness of saying it first.

"Wait," she called out to him. In the time it had taken her internal monologue to run its course, he had made it to the steps leading down towards the Captain's quarters, a place she was more than familiar with. If she followed him down there before stating her piece, this would never happen. Well, it might, but further on down the road. And while that option sounded much more appealing now than any of its siblings, Emma knew she wouldn't be the one to say it if she didn't get it out now. For once, she'd like to beat him at his own game.

Killian stopped with his hand on the railing and turned to face her. His eyes locked onto her in anticipation of what she said next. His stupidly attractive face was throwing her off. Dammit, why did she have to fall in love with a one-handed pirate with the eyes of angel and the body of a god?

She marched up to him until they were toe-to-toe, but made sure that be the only part of him that she touched. Anything else would just distract her. Head down, Emma confronted the sentiment that screwed her over one too many times in her life, but would never again.

"Killian Jones," she sighed heavily. "I love you. And if you ever leave me or make me regret that, so help me god, I will drag you back to the Enchanted Forest and leave you shackled to that damn beanstalk for the rest of your life."

She took a breath before meeting his gaze, but it was gone in an instant. Killian had seized and lifted her into the tightest embrace she'd ever been a part of before tenderly kissing her. Every point of contact between the two crackled and sparked with the love and happiness he had for her and that she now realized she had for him. She wrapped her arms around his neck both to keep her balance and attempt to bring him closer. When their lips finally separated, she chuckled and hid her face in his shoulder.

"I can think of far better things I would rather be shackled to for you," he said into her hair before kissing the crown of her head. "Emma, my love, if I ever hurt you, trust that I will lead the expedition to that gods-forsaken place." She pulled back and met that smile of his that shone brighter than any sun or any star in any land with one of her own. He leaned forward so their foreheads touched before whispering "It's about bloody time" against her lips and proceeding to kiss her senseless.

Definitely not a nightmare, Emma thought to herself before following Killian down to his quarters into the sweetest dream she ever lived through.


End file.
